Royal Navy vehicles

[Larry Hayward]

Alan,

Thanks for sharing your photos and increasing our knowledge of the subject! With regard to the markings I think many would suggest that the MU 2 in CFMU 2 was for Maintenance Unit 2! The C could be for Combined? The F could be for Fleet or Forces. I need to learn more about the organisation of the RN fleets get an answer!

After the CFMU 2 is a number which I would suggest is a number given to each vehicle in the unit.

As the 'Tilly' has a white star & circle sign on the bonnet, it would suggest a UK or NW European RN unit. Perhaps they had a role in the D-Day landings?

As for NP1712 its common to nearly all the vehicles you posted but I have no idea what it means!

With regard to the Bedford 15cwt W/T I note it has the same 'odd looking' oversized body as the very first photo I posted in the thread, so it must have been made that way.

Keep them coming!

[chrisgrove]

Originally Posted by Larry Hayward

Alan,

Thanks for sharing your photos and increasing our knowledge of the subject! With regard to the markings I think many would suggest that the MU 2 in CFMU 2 was for Maintenance Unit 2! The C could be for Combined? The F could be for Fleet or Forces. I need to learn more about the organisation of the RN fleets get an answer!

After the CFMU 2 is a number which I would suggest is a number given to each vehicle in the unit.

As the 'Tilly' has a white star & circle sign on the bonnet, it would suggest a UK or NW European RN unit. Perhaps they had a role in the D-Day landings?

As for NP1712 its common to nearly all the vehicles you posted but I have no idea what it means!

With regard to the Bedford 15cwt W/T I note it has the same 'odd looking' oversized body as the very first photo I posted in the thread, so it must have been made that way.

Keep them coming!

I am pretty certain that NP will stand for Naval Party. Any Naval unit (other than a ship) operating independently will get a Naval Party number which enables personnel to be posted to it.

Chris

[Noel Burgess]

Although it could stand for other things as well, CFMU stands for Coastal Forces Mobile Unit - there were two, CFMU 1 & CFMU 2, which were Flotillas of Motor Torpedo Boats( possibly Motor Gun Boats also) which, in 44/45, were based on the European coast moving up with the land forces - [Arromanches; Ostend; Copenhagen; Cuxhaven]
I presume that the photos of CFMU 2 vehicles represent the shore establishment for this unit.
I did ask Alan Brock if he had any further info on these photos but got no reply.
Noel

[Les Freathy]

That makes a bit of sense Noel my dad was on motor gun boats and his flotilla moved up the coast and finished at Hamberg before moving to Cuxhaven where they spent a few months as security for shipping

[Larry Hayward]

More photos please! I would like to see more photos of vehicles used by the RN and FAA in the UK.

An ex-FAA Petty Officer I know who was with the Naval Air Radio Installation Unit say the unit had one 10 ton and one 5 ton truck, a 10 hp ‘Tilly’ pickup truck and a motorbike and sidecar.

Any suggestions for the 10 ton and 5 ton trucks? Would these have been impressed civi types with that load weight capacity?

[Les Freathy]

Larry

The RN were issued with a small number of Mack NR 10 tonners, most of these were in the far east but not sure if any in the UK as i have not seen any records to state
cheers
Les

[S LATHERON (RIP)]

Heres one I restored earlier
This is maybe not the best picture I have of this Land Rover that I bought, restored and rallied.
LAND ROVER 10 SEAT 107" WB STATION WAGON, built 1957/58
Operated by RNAS Culdrose, Cornwall. Pretty rare vehicle in UK as very few station wagons were bought by private users due to high taxation.
Very useful vehicle for attending rallies as it was easily converted as a sleeping quarters, Land rover had designed the rear bench seat to fold back over and form a flat area, just add front seat squabs to front of this seat and clip to ledge on main bulkhead and you end up with a 7' x 6' 6" Sprung and padded bed.
Used in conjunction with a 9x9 tent and easy base camp set up.
The vehicle carried a yellow Cross painted on the length of the roof , I was told that this was to make it visible from the air when parked on Tarmac [dark blue and black looking much the same from above] Hopefully to stop pilots parking helicopters on top of it.
I had to get written permission from the base comander before I could re apply the station name to the doors. For added security and vehicle use flexibility I also had spare front doors with out RN painted on to leave on the vehicle when using the public highways except on the way to or from a vehicle/ military vehicle rally.
Happy to answer any further questions or post more pics
Stephen